Obesity is a chronic disease and a major public health problem affecting 25 percent of the world’s population. Multiple factors impact on the cause of obesity such as genetics, environment and psychological behaviors. Obesity is measured by body mass index, often called BMI. You can click here for an easy way to calculate your body mass index.

Many people who suffer from obesity also have related health conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, gastric reflux, stress incontinence, elevated cholesterol, cardiac disease and cancer. Besides affecting an individual’s physical health, obesity also affects mental health and social well being.

While a last resort, bariatric surgery is an effective way to treat morbidly obese people who have had no success using diet and exercise to lose weight. The surgical options available at The Institute for Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery at St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospital include:

Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is a minimally invasive approach to weight loss. This procedure is irreversible and requires a long-term commitment to major lifestyle and diet changes.

Our surgeons make a small stomach pouch to which they attach a part of the small intestines. Patients lose weight for two reasons: 1) The surgery restricts the amount of food you can eat, and 2) the body absorbs fewer calories of the food you do eat.

The majority of our gastric bypass patients experience no complications. Patients lose an average of 75% of their excess weight within two years after the gastric bypass. Most patients also enjoy the disappearance of or significant improvement in their obesity-related conditions.

Laparoscopic gastric band is another minimally invasive approach to weight loss. Our surgeons place the band around the stomach, which limits the amount of food you can eat.

While the band produces very good results (approximately 50% excess weight loss in our patients), the results are more gradual and less dramatic than those for the gastric bypass. However, the band offers several advantages. During surgery, it is the most minimally invasive; after surgery, it is adjustable and reversible. Because of these pros and cons, the Center uses bands for higher risk patients.

Single incision laparoscopic surgery techniques allow surgeons to perform laparoscopic operations traditionally performed with multiple small incisions through ONE small incision, hidden in the belly button, for selected patients. The weight loss surgery procedures currently performed using this technique are: adjustable gastric band and sleeve gastrectomy. This approach gives the patients a cosmetically pleasing outcome and because of the hidden scar, a patient's confidentiality is ensured.

Sleeve gastrectomy is a relatively new restrictive bariatric surgery procedure. It can be used as a primary procedure for select patients or it can be performed as part of a two-stage treatment on patients who have a higher body mass index. The 2nd stage is usually gastric bypass. During sleeve gastrectomy, the surgeon creates a small, sleeve-shaped stomach that measures one to five ounces.

  For more specifics about life after bariatric surgery and the post-bariatric surgery diet, see our Patient Tools section.

Ready to learn more? Use our appointment scheduling form to schedule an initital consultation. For more information or to register for an upcoming seminar on bariatric surgery, please call (212) 636-1000.